This is a list of Japanese idols; a type of celebrity in Japan. The following list includes both female and male idols as well as both solo idols and idol groups.
The following is a list of the 20 all-time best-selling Japanese idols in Japan as of 2011, according to the Japanese music television program Music Station.[1]
| Rank | Artist | Records sold | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMAP | 32,310,000 | |
| 2 | Seiko Matsuda | 29,510,000 | |
| 3 | Akina Nakamori | 25,340,000 | |
| 4 | KinKi Kids | 24,670,000 | |
| 5 | Speed | 19,530,000 | |
| 6 | Arashi | 19,140,000 | |
| 7 | Morning Musume. | 16,700,000 | |
| 8 | Momoe Yamaguchi | 16,220,000 | |
| 9 | Hiromi Go | 15,780,000 | |
| 10 | Kenji Sawada | 15,700,000 | |
| 11 | The Checkers | 15,380,000 | |
| 12 | Miho Nakayama | 14,970,000 | |
| 13 | Shizuka Kudō | 14,870,000 | |
| 14 | Kyōko Koizumi | 14,260,000 | |
| 15 | Pink Lady | 13,330,000 | |
| 16 | Hideki Saijo | 13,290,000 | |
| 17 | Toshihiko Tahara | 12,700,000 | |
| 18 | Masahiko Kondō | 12,670,000 | |
| 19 | Hikaru Genji | 12,220,000 | |
| 20 | Tomomi Kahara | 12,190,000 |